Category: Op-Ed
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Why the Counter Economy Is Necessary to Bitcoin’s Survival as a Disruptive Currency
As Bitcoin is adopted by more and more traditional financial institutions, and becomes regulated by governments worldwide, the question of its survival as a truly disruptive alternative to legacy financial systems is raised. After all, if governments like Qatar’s can ban it, and international banking laws like AMLD5 can push bitcoin-friendly companies out of business,…
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Stablecoins Are Crypto’s Version of Fractional Reserve Banking
Stablecoins provide much sought after stability in the volatile crypto markets. They are sometimes even said to affect the price of bitcoin in drastic fashion. Tether (USDT) in particular continues to be widely scrutinized for this, with recent lawsuits about conflicts of interest and price manipulation being hotly contested. More important to dive into, however,…
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Was Youtube’s Christmas Crypto Purge Illegal?
This article considers the legal implications of Youtube’s notorious purge of crypto channels on Christmas Eve. What legal context induces Youtube and other social media giants to operate as they do? The article does not explore whether it is morally proper to terminate a contract without cause or explanation and to threaten people’s livelihoods; it…
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Why Nick Szabo Probably Isn’t Satoshi
Search online for ‘possible creators of Bitcoin’ and Bit Gold creator Nick Szabo will always appear near the top of the list. His long history in the cypherpunk space, his writings on money, digital cash, and smart contracts, and some facts about his past have often been used to create a compelling picture that he…
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Crypto Confronts Social Justice Warriors
“Many men are lamenting the “man-hating” rhetoric that they have imagined stemming from SJWs. It just so happens that many of these men are also heavily involved in cryptocurrencies due to the notion that Bitcoin can restore their libertarian ideals.”– Ross Chalmers, Coin Rivet. The following article is an oped by Wendy McElroy. Also read:…
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Iran, Hong Kong, India: Failed Protests Point to Need for Crypto-Anarchy ‘Second Realms’
What is the second realm? It’s both an abstract and concrete “place” parallel to here, where temporary autonomous zones (TAZ) provide a chance to escape the burning surveillance spotlight of the state and brutal law enforcement culture, and allow for at least temporary exercises of human rights and freedom. A TAZ may allow for free…
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The State Encourages ICO Fraud. The Free Market Minimizes It
Many Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have been and are frauds. The state enables this con game in various ways, including the establishment of accredited investors and the regulation of businesses that sell equity. Shut off from the most lucrative aspects of investment, average people rush into the few sources of profit still available to them.…
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The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto
A specter is haunting the modern world, the specter of crypto anarchy. Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner. Two persons may exchange messages, conduct business, and negotiate electronic contracts without ever knowing the True Name,…
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The Politics of Destruction
For some time now, I have been aware of a widespread fascination among many libertarians with Jim Bell’s “Assassination Politics” (AP). At my request, Robert Vroman has defended the merits of AP. In this article, I will argue that AP is just about the single worst idea that libertarians could advocate. Despite my misgivings, I…